Chancellor pledges additional £84m for children’s social care

20 local authorities struggling with high or rising numbers of children in care will benefit from an additional £84m funding as announced in the budget.

Whilst Chancellor, Phillip Hammond indicated overall departmental spending allocations would be settled in next year’s Spending Review a small number of areas will be provided additional support immediately "in order to deliver necessary certainty for forward planning".

Speaking in the budget Hammond said ‘We will invest a further £84m over the next five years to expand our successful children's social care programmes to 20 further councils with high or rising numbers of children in care, allowing councils to improve services … for children in care now, while longer term funding decisions will be made at the spending review."

Imran Hussain, Director of Policy and Campaigns from Action for Children welcomed the news but commented "The government must commit to ongoing financial support for cash-strapped councils so they can provide the children's services that vulnerable families and children urgently need,"